Eyes of Diamond
by Nienna1
Summary: Pippin proposes to Diamond. Shortness & sweetness.


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I just obsess over them.

Eyes of Diamond

Ah, look at her, sitting there, her head rested dreamily upon her fair hands. Her wild, curly hair outlines her face as she smiles radiantly at me. Her smile isn't perfect, the third tooth from the middle on the left side is missing from "an unfortunate childhood accident". Yet _she_ is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

She lifts up one hand to her hair and, out of habit, starts to twirl a few strands between her fingers. This makes me smile even more than I already am. For as long as I have known her she has played with her hair, always twirling it or braiding it. I guess she sees my smile because she immediately folds her hands in her lap and looks down at them. She sits this way for a while.

But then slowly she lifts her eyes up to meet mine again, and for the first time I notice the real beauty in her unique eyes. Sure, I have always said they were beautiful, but that was before I looked at them, really looked at them. I see the mischievous twinkle in her eyes, the same twinkle I know well and love dearly, the same twinkle I am sure I get quite often. I see her love for nature, for rolling down long hills, and her love for picking apples on a cool autumn evenings. I see beauty. I could look at her eyes until the end of all my days on this Middle-earth.

Then I back up, and look at her.

Despite her missing tooth, despite the small scar on the right of her forehead, despite the fact that her left eyebrow is slightly larger than her right, I love her. And it's these and all of her other faults that make me love her more.

And I can only hope she feels the same way about me.

__

'I guess I'll find out tonight,' I tell myself, fingering the small box in my coat pocket. _'I sure do hope she says yes. I love her. She is perfect.'_

'But if she is so perfect, how could she ever love you?' There it is again. That nasty little voice that lives inside all of us, always trying to bring us down, destroy us and our hopes. _'You are so different from each other. It will never work out. Once you are wed she will discover who you truly are, and she will hate you.'_

'She won't hate me,' I try to convince myself. _'She said she loves me! I know she loves me!'_

'Prove it then,' tempts the voice. _'Ask her the question. Give her the ring in your pocket. Discover once and for all that I am right.'_

__

'"Of course you'll be worried,_"' _I can almost hear Merry say. Why, it was just a couple hours ago he was right by my side, helping me get ready for this big night out with Diamond. _'"Of course you will have second thoughts. But you love her, and she loves you. So take a deep breath, and take the plunge. And if you start to have doubts, just look into her eyes.'"_

I look up from my fingers, that I have been playing with without even realizing it, and look into her eyes. And you know what? Merry was right. The eyes of Diamond are like no other. It is quite possible to lose yourself to your own thoughts and daydreams while gazing into her eyes. They give me confidence, strength, courage…and right now, that's exactly what I need.

"Pippin? Is everything alright? You've been awfully quiet," says Diamond, and the sound of her voice drives me from my realm of fantasy.

"Yes," I reply. "Everything's alright. Everything's wonderful, in fact."

Diamond laughs. "Good. I was a wee bit worried there, for a minute, to tell the truth. You're usually never quiet."

I nod my head. "There's a lot on my mind tonight."

"Like what?" she asks as she tilts her head to one side.

"Diamond, may I…ask you a question?"

"Certainly, Pip."

I pause. I cannot continue. It is as if I can feel the eyes of everyone in the room staring at me, whispering, laughing. I look down at my hands and slowly pull the box out of my pocket. I can feel my forehead start to sweat. Panicked, I look up at her, into her eyes, and suddenly it isn't so bad.

"Diamond of Long Cleeve…will you marry me?"

For a moment, all is silent, and I am not sure if the quiet is a figment of my imagination or a reality. I sit there, waiting anxiously for any answer and praying for the one I want. The silence seems to last for an eternity. Then, suddenly,

"Yes Pippin…I would be honored to be your bride."

The room bursts into applause, and I realize now that the silence in the room was real. I slip the ring on her finger, and the diamond in it glistens and sparkles, and the reflections dance on my bride-to-be's face. She leans over and kisses me gently, and I can no longer hear the cheers of the others. The only thing that matters is Diamond and me.

As I look into her eyes, I know that at last I can be happy.


End file.
